


Face Up, Face Down

by SoporificSweetheart



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bedsharing, F/F, Is she hitting on me or just being friendly, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Visionshipping, lesbian card game tournament
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-08-20 03:51:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20221336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoporificSweetheart/pseuds/SoporificSweetheart
Summary: Battle City ended three years ago, but the aftershocks from coming back to life from the shadow realm have left a toll on Mai. Still, world-class card game tournaments and pretty girls make for great distractions, right?





	1. Migraine

For Mai, the night always had a way of seeping in and drawing out its worst. No matter how problems proved to vanish behind the hustle and bustle of daylight hours and fleeting distractions, when the shadows lengthened during the hours of the evening, with the doors locked and the blinds drawn, the darkest parts of her soul spilled out like ink and stained Mai's hands with its presence, and the copper pulses of moonlight through city smog never served to save her from her truth.

It shouldn't have mattered anymore. It had been more than two years since Battle City had passed since those dark spirits and other hocus pocus nonsense that she swore up and down that she did not take stock in had been laid to rest. In the time that passed, she played more tournaments, placed in every last one of them and went all the way to the top in a few of the smaller events. She had convinced herself that it was a good life she made for herself; keeping in touch with the few friends she made, getting out now and again, traveling some, and staying notable in the pro circuit. That much of the equation hadn't mattered much, anyway, because way too often even now, Mai woke up shuddering in a cold sweat remembering that one moment, the hellride of all her fucking hellrides. The night she died and lived out her deepest of torments. Lost. Forgotten. Abandoned. Best of all, dead.

Her heart might've kept beating in her chest that night, but everything that made Mai into who she was had died, and died slowly and painfully at that.

Mai threw her head back and raked her fingers through thick, flaxen curls and groaned out in frustration. She shouldn't have been reeling through that moment as vividly as when she'd lived it nearly two years after the fact. Mai was alive, and none of her little dueling pals had forgotten her. Sometimes she thought that was the tragedy, that they remembered; they remembered her phone number, too, in an equally tragic fashion. She'd mentioned the nightmares in passing to them once, and Yuugi had mentioned talking to a therapist might've been a good idea.

And tell them what? That she had almost been murdered in a card game tournament and forced to live out one of her most pervasive fear in a purgatory state while her body went comatose? Not fucking likely. It wasn't as if she didn't appreciate the sentiment, but Yuugi had the prettiest story to explain his problems out of all of them. 'I lost a loved one' was an easy statement that slid easily into conversation. It didn't make the problem any easier, and Mai didn't envy his pain in the slightest, but at least someone else could understand what he was going through without trying to send him to a psych ward. If he explained the whole body sharing issue or the long-dead spirit part of that, then it would've been different, but loss was a pain conditioned into the human experience. Mai wouldn't even know where to begin with any of her issues. The most concise way to phrase it was that she'd been the victim of attempted murder, and outside their little circle of dueling freaks, it was a much less relatable event.

She threw her head back against the pillow and let her loose hair scatter in violent, blonde disarray upon impact before letting out a deep sigh.

When was this going to be over? When was any of this going to be over? Mai pinched the bridge of her nose and made the piss poor decision of checking the clock on her bedside table where 3:00 am blinked back at her in a mocking display. Should she have woken up two hours ago, she could've just taken half a dose of sleep aid and indulged in the thought of sleeping in on a weekend, should she have woken up two hours later, she could've resigned herself to being awake and gotten an early start on the day. None of that would be happening, and Mai would likely spend the next hour staring up at the ceiling and wishing her life had moved on after she had revived from her coma.

But Mai had shit to do the following day. She'd at least try to get some sleep, for herself, at least. Time trecked on as Mai's stare bore into the inky blackness behind her eyelids, but eventually, she fell back asleep.

Maybe this time she could manage to sleep until her alarm woke her up instead of more card game nightmares.

***

The morning to follow was a nightmare of its own. While Mai had the decent-enough fortune not to encounter any further wicked dreams that she could recall, she tossed and turned and felt raw in all the worst ways when morning came. To top it off, when she did wake up, she was nursing a migraine. Mai groaned at the familiar feeling and rubbed her temples. She dragged herself out of her bed, pillow-top mattress be damned for all it did to help her this morning, and moved to the kitchen for coffee and an Excedrin. Or, at least she would have, if there were any left in the bottle.

"Oh, fucking come on!" Mai groaned as she slammed the top of the bottle into her palm with the false hope that some last pill would come unstuck from the confines of the plastic pill bottle. Alas, to no avail, much like her other attempts at anything and everything for the last twelve hours. She'd regretted yelling the moment after, her head beginning to swim with the throbbing ache of her migraine kicked up to a ten. It was fine, she'd finish her coffee and head to the convenience store. She'd needed some things for around the apartment anyway, despite how she'd wanted for anything else than to leave.

At least the convenience store would be uneventful, and then Mai could take her shitty day with zero plans and do something entirely pointless but at least not nearly as shitty as dreaming about dying or slogging through the full force of a migraine. With designer shades to darken the blinding lights and deathly sterile aisles, Mai had found herself in an aisle full of over the counter bottles of pills when she overheard a familiar voice that she couldn't quite place. Nosy as she was, it'd be nearly as annoying as the damn migraine if she couldn't sleuth out the feminine voice echoing from behind her.

Perhaps she'd be better off minding her own business and worried over her own problems.

"...Would you stop being so dramatic," the woman from behind her whispered. With no other voice responding, Mai could only assume she was speaking into a receiver, "I'll be back in twenty minutes."

But when had she ever minded her own business? Besides, the one line was already to juicy to ignore from this familiar stranger. With a fresh bottle of painkillers in her neatly manicured hand, she made an attempt to be inconspicuous as she lingered at the end of her aisle and stole glances at the feminine figure turned away from her. Long black hair fell over and past her shoulders, swept back and neatly plaited. That in itself wasn't particularly telling yet- she knew a lot of women with black hair. She was a shorter woman, she wore a sleeveless long white shift- fashionably old fashioned. A face lingered in the very front of her mind, but she just couldn't place it.

When her complexion processed in her mind, however, in combination with the thin gold bracelet curled around her spice-toned skin, it all clicked- the Battle City competitor.

Mai's snooping was coming around to bite her on the ass, because just before she could turn away, somewhat mesmerized in looking her over and trying to remember what the fuck her name was, Mai realized she was mid-turn and caught in the act of staring.

Fuck.

"I have to go," she said into the speaker, her voice mild and soft but her eyes wide in recognition. Any possibility that Mai could've avoided the encounter, or at least avoided looking like a creep staring Ishizu down in the aisle, had evaporated upon eye contact. "Good-bye, Marik."

Ishizu! That was it! At least she had that to go off of.

And then the other name registered, and Mai had to brace herself upon realization.

And then she hung up. Mai figured she might as well start first since she was the one staring. She was looking particularly annoyed at the intrusion, and Mai could hardly blame her for it.

"Hey, it's Ishizu, right?" Mai led off, giving her a wave of her hand in greeting.

Ishizu looked a bit startled, wide pools of cerulean blue staring back at her. "I'm sorry," she started, and the look of uncertainty crossing her face hit Mai immediately, "have we... met before?"

Mai was about to swallow her pride and admit to herself her performances in the Battle City finals weren't all that memorable when she realized half her face was covered by sunglasses. With a quick swipe of her hand, she pulled them up to rest nestled in her thick blonde hair. Thankfully, that did the trick, and some of Mai's pride had been restored. She settled a hand over her hip and flashed her a pleasant smile as if her brother hadn't murdered her a few years ago and they'd met at some disbanded book circle or study group instead of the set of circumstances that had actually transpired.

"Oh!" She said, the mild annoyance on her features being replaced with a gentle smile, "Mai Valentine- we met in the pro-dueling circuit, right?"

"Yeah- but that was a long time ago now, though, I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd forgotten," Mai said. She didn't need any accolades regarding her darkest hour, it wasn't a pretty sight. She hadn't meant to become entrenched in exchanging pleasantries.

"Oh no, it's hard to forget the women who make it as high as you had in such high-stakes competition, there aren't very many, after all." Ishizu met her with such a brilliant smile, it was impossible to shoot her down. Really, it was a pity Battle City sucked as majorly as it did, it would've been nice to talk to a woman her age in the competitive scene.

Ugh- who needed sociopaths? Mai's own mind managed to paint herself with one foot in her own casket with an internal dialogue like that; Women her own age? She was twenty-seven for Christ's sake- and she'd been twenty-four at the competition!

"You're right about that, it's just too bad that you had to see such a stiff performance from my end." Mai laughed at her own poor joke, but it only took a few seconds for Ishizu's face to fall.

Mai really needed to stop attempting small talk with strangers.

"I am- I am so sorry about that, Mai. I'd almost forgotten," Ishizu cast her eyes down to the floor and Mai felt guilty for bringing it up.

"No, don't be. At the end of the day, I'm fine," Mai promised, trying to console this guilt-stricken woman in front of her, gently placing her hands on her shoulders. Thank god it was early- there was barely anyone here. This was such a stupid place to catch up with someone. She should've ended the conversation after Ishizu had mentioned Battle City and parted ways.

"Really, Mai, you have my deepest condolences," Ishizu lamented, "that time is truly something I regret. I wish it had never come down to that, but even in spite of the God Cards, you dueled so valiantly. I know that they had belonged to my family, but I always thought you should have been able to use Ra in that duel."

"Yeah, just too bad I didn't brush up on Egyptology beforehand, right?" Mai said jokingly, and Ishizu seemed to perk up at that.

"Yes- I'm sorry, I must be keeping you," Ishizu said, cheeks dark, "I should get back to looking for what I'd come in for and leave you to it."

"It's fine, don't worry about that," Mai insisted, waving away Ishizu's concerns with a flick of her wrist, "It was good catching up."

Well, sort of, but she didn't say that aloud.

Mai turned around, pill bottle in hand and ready to head to the counter, flicking her sunglasses back down over her face. She'd never anticipated this sort of encounter from the convenience store, but in spite of how weird it was, she wouldn't call it all that terrible either. Catching up with someone outside of the gaggle of teenagers she met in pro dueling was refreshing. Maybe she'd see her on another impromptu grocery trip. The last thing she'd been anticipating, however, was for Ishizu to stop her on her way to the counter.

"Mai, wait," Ishizu called shortly after Mai had turned around, "maybe you'd like to catch up more formally, sometime? I could make tea."

***

Mai lay in bed that night, migraine having dissolved into a minor headache early that morning. Her eyebrows furrowed, staring at the number that'd been entered into her phone. It was a bizarre meeting, to say the least, with more questions than she had answers. The biggest question to arise from all of that, after dishing out various traumatic experiences from card game tournaments, did Ishizu come on to her?

No, that was ridiculous. Mai had been out with enough girls to recognize that. She was reading into it too much because Ishizu was cute and had her neck-deep in wishful thinking. That was way too weird to be a pick-up.

Right?


	2. Another Tournament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mentions of another KaibaCorp. tournament arises, and Mai admits to some reservations on participating.

Over the following week, Mai had discovered that Ishizu had indeed been sincere in her invitation for tea during their particularly peculiar reunion in the convenience store. The evening following their run-in, Mai had gotten a call from Ishizu asking about seeing her again for tea, and to catch up on a lighter note. Mai still found the request a little odd, but then again, what wasn't these days? Meeting up with an old acquaintance from the pro-dueling circuit over coffee or tea seemed like an incredibly normal and potentially pleasant thing to do. So, she'd said yes. After all, she could put whatever had happened back in Battle City behind her and get out of the house.

Plus, an attractive woman sitting across from her had rarely made for bad company. Mai fixed her blouse and tousled her blonde hair between her fingers before she knocked at Ishizu's apartment door. A beat of silence without response had passed, and Mai had to wonder if Ishizu simply hadn't heard her, or she'd gotten the wrong apartment or the wrong building entirely. A swipe and a glance at her phone informed her that, no, this was exactly where Ishizu had asked to meet. Mai decided the buzzer was the next logical step. "Hello?" Mai spoke clearly into the receiver, "Ishizu? Did I get the time wrong?" 

Mai knew for a fact that she hadn't, but maybe Ishizu had mistakenly sent her the wrong time. She let her hand rest on her hip, tapping her foot on the tiled hallway before she heard a voice calling out from within. Something that sounded a bit like 'just a minute', the volume of the phrase muffled by a sturdy door, but it was undeniably Ishizu's voice. When the door opened and revealed her hostess for the evening behind it, Mai realized just how run-down she'd looked at the convenience store where they'd met the week prior. If Mai thought Ishizu was beautiful then, she'd looked positively radiant now with her long, silky tresses down, nearly reaching her back and her complexion seemingly glowing. 

"My apologies for keeping you waiting," Ishizu said with a pleasant and courteous smile poised on her lips, "I was in the middle of preparing the tea when I heard you knock. I hope you'll forgive me."

She was polite to a fault, but Ishizu didn't look bothered in the slightest by keeping Mai waiting. "Oh, it's not a big deal, just wanted to be sure I came to the right place." It definitely was not a big deal. It seemed as though the last thirty seconds had completely erased the awkwardness of their encounter at the store. Mai suddenly found herself very interested in the tea Ishizu had waiting for her inside. She followed her to the table where Ishizu began to pour a cup for the two of them. 

"It really is good to see you, Mai," Ishizu said, her hands warming around her cup of tea, a courteous smile still painting her expression, and Mai took her seat across from her. "I know the incident at the store wasn't particularly ideal, but it really is nice to see another female duelist. Cream and sugar?"

Mai laughed at that. She'd known what she had meant by that, considering at least ninety-percent of competition duelists were guys, it was a rare sight to see someone like herself up at a competition, and even having the two of them both at Battle City finals out of eight competitors was something of a pleasant rarity. While there were a few new younger female rookies that began to throw their names in the ring, there was no doubt that the two of them were a minority, especially now that they weren't teenagers. "Yes please- and I know what you mean. It's a pain being the only woman at a tournament. Still, you've got to admit- there is something nice about having no lines for the bathrooms."

Ishizu giggled behind the palm of her hand and took another sip of her tea. "That is true," she agreed, "however, I'd much prefer longer lines to some of the men I've had to deal with. Honestly, Seto Kaiba, megalomaniac that he is at least knew how to shower and dress himself- and keep a respectable distance from other competitors."

Mai tossed her head back and laughed, "if there's something you can give him credit for, that would be it. I mean, we're all much too far below him for him to stand within three meters of us peasants. Must be why he enters from helicopters so often."

Ishizu met the comment with a smile, more giggles following. "Well, if we must talk about Kaiba, it wouldn't be right not to mention the new KaibaCorp tournament coming up."

Mai thought she'd heard some mention of the tournament in the works, but, with her last run-in with a Kaiba tournament, she couldn't say she really wanted to sign those waivers. At least in Duelist Kingdom, at least she could rest at ease knowing Panic was subject to a lawsuit for going past Pegasus' parameters and being overly handsy. "I think I heard something about that, but why don't you fill me in?" Mai asked with a smile and figured Ishizu would have an insider's glance somehow- she always seemed so kept up on details.

"Well," Ishizu said with some enthusiasm, placing her tea down to gesticulate, "There haven't been any official press releases yet past the tournament dates, however, I have insider information that it's unlike any of his past tournaments."

"Why am I not surprised you have 'insider information'?" Mai said with a chuckle, her elbows crossed and pressed down onto the table to lean in, but at this point, her interest was more invested in Ishizu than any of Kaiba's insane tournaments. 

"It's a doubles tournament," Ishizu said, stunning blue eyes bright as she revealed this incredible new information on Kaiba's tournament.

It took a moment for what Ishizu had actually said to process. "What?" a crinkle formed in Mai's brow before she belted out a laugh, "No way- Seto Kaiba is throwing a double duel tournament? Doesn't seem like something he'd do."

"It doesn't, does it?" Ishizu said, her smile softening and she picked up her teacup once more, holding it close to her face, "I never said it was Seto Kaiba's idea. I think this is more of the Vice President's doing."

"The vice president?" it took a moment, but eventually Mokuba came to mind. It was easy to forget that Seto had a younger brother when he always dominated the news with flashy choices and dumb scandals, but if she remembered right, Mokuba was incredibly young. "Isn't he like, twelve?"

"He's sixteen, and older than Seto when he took the company. I think it's nice to see someone a little less... ostentatious taking some spotlight here," Ishizu giggled at this, and Mai smiled at the sound. "It'll still be some time until sign-ups for the tournament take place, but, do you think you'll participate? I know that you're more than eligible."

"I guess that's true," Mai admit before she honestly had the time to process the news. Joining another tournament? She didn't know what incredible prize that KaibaCorp would supposedly put on the line this time, but, these things had lost some of their interest for her lately. And, in the frame of reference to dueling, she was getting old. Not to mention, partnering up with any number of the boys who'd appear at competition was a less than stellar image in her mind. It really might've been time to let it go.

"Eh, I've never dueled with a partner before, but, it doesn't really seem my speed," Mai said, and sighed, "don't tell anyone else, but I've been thinking it might be time to bow out of the whole competitive scene."

Ishizu dropped her teacup to the table with a clatter, eyes wide and searching for words. "What?" she took Mai's hands into her own, "but... you're incredible!"

Mai could not believe how shocked at the revelation Ishizu was. The two of them had barely even spoken before they'd met coincidentally a few days ago; Mai could hardly process Ishizu being so invested in her career as a duelist. She looked at her with such wide eyes, her elegant fingers adorned with golden bands curled around Mai's hands. The seconds stretched on, Mai's eyes briefly glancing up to meet Ishizu's before she abandoned the grasp that she'd initiated in favor of smoothing out the wrinkles on her skirt. 

"I'm terribly sorry, that was inappropriate. I'm just surprised. You just always seemed so passionate about it, I hadn't expected that," Ishizu said, "the competitive scene will be losing a skilled player."

"No, no, it's okay," Mai tried to assure her, trying not to crush the mood of their meeting, "it's not something I've really made up my mind about. I just know I'm getting older than the majority of competitive players at this point, and it's probably time I start thinking about what's next for me. I love the game, really but..." she waved the statement off, not trying to bother Ishizu with personal details when they didn't know each other all that well.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, I completely understand. It's silly, but I was thinking," Ishizu faltered, and with how eloquently she presented herself, it was odd seeing her fluster and laugh, but it wasn't a bad look on her, either. "I thought that if you'd be interested in the tournament, that maybe we could pair up together."

The question as to whether or not Ishizu was coming onto her flared up in her mind again. The lines were hazy at best, and the sudden touch, the instigation in spending time with her, that hopeful glint that lingered in her bright eyes all seemed to point to that. Yet, with how Ishizu invested herself in knowing all of the private knowledge and possibilities within the competition, it could've easily passed as a genuine interest in her career, as well as a duel partner for an upcoming tournament. Still, should Ishizu have been seeking something more from her, Mai wouldn't refuse her. 

"You should've led with that," Mai grinned and took Ishizu's hand back into her own and gave her hand something that resembled a friendly squeeze, "You know, considering I know I'd have someone competent as a partner, a doubles tournament doesn't sound all that bad anymore."

Ishizu's eyes widened and a smile crossed her lips. It was honestly precious, seeing her get so excited over a card game. After everything that had happened in the past, the things she'd witnessed and the things she didn't, Mai didn't anticipate it from her. Something innocent, Mai considered.

"Really? You'd like to?" Ishizu asked, her smile becoming a bit more muted in an effort at posterity, but the mirth still lingered in her eyes, "don't let me pressure you, now. If it's not something you're interested in, I can handle a little disappointment."

"Really-really," Mai said, a little smirk playing on her lips, "I think we could make a great team. Maybe we'll take it all the way to the top with the both of us in this."

"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way," Ishizu insisted, her smile becoming coy once more, and her expression becoming the calm and calculated look Mai was more familiar with. "Besides, since we both have this little bit of insider information about the upcoming tournament, we could get a bit more practice arranging our decks before the official announcements are made."

"Oh, is that so?" Mai said, and the devious grin that had been playing on her expression seeping into her words. "Now, now, this extra knowledge you're giving me, this wouldn't be considered cheating, would it?"

"Oh, of course not," Ishizu gasped as if scandalized by the notion, "I would never operate under any false pretenses. It's only an exercise between two friends, and, even should our competition have the same information, could you really imagine half of them willingly cooperating with each other outside of a tournament? Even without names being announced."

"You do make an excellent point," Mai grinned, and gently rubbed her foot against Ishizu's ankle beneath the table, "actually, I'm not sure anyone else should even bother against us."

"Oh, but it's a tournament," Ishizu said coyly, taking a sip of her tea but setting it down once she'd realized it'd gone cold, "what fun would it be if they didn't at least try?"


	3. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ishizu and Mai learn different things about each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to post last week, so get ready for two chapters going up today

The next few weeks, Mai would be invited over to Ishizu's home under the guise of card games, and vice versa on alternating meetings. Mai felt that she was beginning to know Ishizu rather well with all the time that they were spending together, as well as her deck. It contrasted to her own starkly. Whereas Mai had magic cards meant to bolster and complement the strengths of her most beloved monster cards, Ishizu's deck consisted mainly of traps that played to a more complex game of strategy. In addition to that, she had a fair few healing type cards as well. While Mai had played a number of good games with a wide array of strong opposition, some of the traps her friend held in her hand she'd never even heard of before she'd met Ishizu. 

"This one," Ishizu said with a cool smile, "I'd intended to use on Kaiba in the Battle City Tournament. You see, the idea of it is that you choose one card in your opponent's deck to place it on, and should they attack with it, they inflict the attack damage on themselves. I'd used it on his god card, naturally, but at the last moment, he chose to attack with his blue eyes instead. I'd have won the match if he hadn't."

Mai grinned at that. "You mean to tell me, that if Kaiba would've just played his god card like he'd meant to, in the beginning, you'd have defeated him?" It was impressive to predict that far ahead, to say the least, "if that were me it would've burned me up knowing I was an inch away from beating that rich kid!"

"Well," Ishizu said, glancing away with a smile and Mai could've sworn she could feel the flush on her cheeks from where she sat beside her, "I wasn't really playing to win, back then. As long as the god cards got where they needed to be, then, it all worked out for the better. However, I'll admit, that duel is the one I think back to more than I'd care to admit." 

"I'd bet!" Mai said, gently squeezing her shoulder and Ishizu's eyes darted to where her neatly trimmed nails perched on her frame, "hell, it'd be something I'd think about too. It's frustrating, being that close and losing to chance."

"Well, the same could be said for you, right?" Ishizu said, her eyes seeking hers out, "should it not have been for the technicalities of the card, you'd have won your duel against my brother."

The response stunned her slightly, but Ishizu was right. More than right, that duel was something she'd been dwelling on ever since. Being made victim to chance and losing her duel due to technicalities even Seto Kaiba hadn't heard of before had stung. For someone who'd fought to be seen in a light of independence, of not needing to rely on someone else to fight her battles for her, for her to not be able to save herself in that moment was soul-crushing, in more ways than one. 

"Yeah, you're right about that one," Mai agreed, sending a huff of air out her nose.

"I'm sorry," Ishizu said, her hand settling on top of Mai's gently, "I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries."

Mai shrugged it off as if Ishizu didn't just smack the blackest of her bruises that had yet to heal, even after all the years of trying to cover it up. "Hey, it's not a big deal. But, you'd better promise me something," Mai countered, casting a serious gaze upon her.

Wide-eyed and shocked, Ishizu gazed back at her at the sudden ultimatum, "What is it?"

"If we're partnering up for this tournament, you'd better be playing to win this time around," Mai said, a smirk resting on her ruby lips as she landed an elbow in Ishizu's side, causing her friend to squeak at the contact.

"Yes!" Ishizu laughed, breathing out in relief, "of course- I wouldn't have asked otherwise. Well, maybe not, but my intentions in this are playing a good game and winning."

"Good," Mai smiled back to her and leaned in. It was comfortable, meeting with Ishizu like this, challenging each other to a friendly match of cards where the stakes remained low and they compared strategy for no reason beyond personal improvement. Even more comfortable was the weight of Ishizu's body resting against her own as they sank into Mai's sofa while the earthy notes of her perfume that clung to her silken black hair still lingered in the air and tickled her nose. Mai rarely had female friends that she felt so at home with, or friends in general, in actuality. Even lovers, the few and far between that she fooled around with, their company was never this easy to keep. Mai wondered if this sort of feeling would remain even after the tournament was over, whether they won or lost.

The comfortable silence stretched on, interrupted only by Mai pausing to shuffle her deck, the two of them pausing to compare cards for a few moments, their company remaining quiet, light, and breathable.

Mai, however, was the one to break it with a question of her own this time. "You know," she said, her tone one of interest, "we don't just have to play cards when you come over. I know we're getting ready for a tournament, but there's other things we could do together."

Ishizu looked to her, the bright blue of her eyes seemed to have a question lingering in them, one beyond the one that left her lips, "like what?"

"Well," Mai said, reclining into the cushion of her own sofa, "we could go out. Maybe grab lunch, go shopping, that kind of thing?"

The delight that played on Ishizu's features looked infectious. "Oh! Yes, I think that sounds like a lot of fun. I don't get the chance to explore the city just for fun very much, but... I think I'd enjoy having you show me around for a little while."

"Well, that makes both of us." 

Ishizu had such a darling smile. Mai couldn't help but to smile back at her when she looked at her like that. Mai might've been someone who found herself at home in a crowd, but having someone that she was comfortable being alone with was rare.

If there were actually gods above that didn't have it out for her, Mai was holding onto every last hope that Ishizu would stick around a while. 

However, the sweetness of the quiet moment passed and they were back to talking about cards, flipping through, discussing the possibility of new cards to bolster a strategy, rearranging or incorporating old cards that had been discarded. Even so, they still brushed elbows, Ishizu sitting close, making it impossible to really keep her focus on the cards for all that much longer when she'd rather concentrate on Ishizu's thigh brushing against her own. Fortunately, Ishizu seemed to have picked up on Mai's waning attention span and spoke up. 

"Well, as much comparing decks helps to strategize, I'm almost certain we've spent enough time looking at cards and battle effects," Ishizu insisted, the corner of her full lips upturning while mirth glinted in the blue of her eyes.

"Oh, yeah? You seem like you've got a good plan for something else we could be doing," Mai's elbows rested atop her knees, eyes locked on Ishizu's.

"I may have something in mind."

"Well, don't keep me in the dark. I'd love to hear it."

This had to be a come on. The way Ishizu's gaze burned into her with intention, there was no way that it wasn't. Mai leaned in a little closer, her expectations having soared higher than the Domino city skyline at this point.

And then Ishizu turned her head back to the cards, grabbed Mai's deck, and began to shuffle. It wasn't what she was anticipating, but Mai knew firsthand there were other games to play with Duel Monsters- or at least different prizes to be claimed. While she'd never played first hand, she had heard of strip duel monsters. 

"What better way to test the strength of our cards than to duel with them? It should give us a better understanding of each other's playing style, wouldn't you think?"

Oh.

"Oh- psh, yeah, of course. Pass me your deck, princess. Actions are louder than words and all that, right?"

***

Mai, all too quickly, was becoming extremely well-acquainted with Ishizu's style of playing, and it was entirely unrelated to do with the cards in her deck. A master of toying with her, her traps shifting to be all too literal for her tastes. Ishizu had now left hours ago to head back home after a close game that she had won, both figuratively and literally. Mai had showered, tossed on slippers and a nightgown, and nursed a drink in her living room. 

It wasn't as if Mai couldn't handle being flirted with, a coy smile and a lead in, she only wished she could figure out what the hell Ishizu wanted from her here. Whenever she found it in herself to accept that this was just about cards, that Ishizu's interests in her were only platonic, and that any admiration she held for her was purely out of respect for her skill, she'd lure her in further. An offer, a touch, and most recently, a look. Maybe she was just imagining all of it.

Mai groaned, setting down her drink a tossing her head back, flaxen curls scattering in disarray over the back of her couch. Why did she care this much if she was being led on or not? None of this mattered before. There was no woman spectacular enough for her to be losing her mind over like this. Mai knew her own worth, didn't let anyone push her around. Ishizu shouldn't have been an exception. Shouldn't seemed to be the keyword. 

Mai inhaled deeply, running her hands through her messy hair. She should really dry it before it became impossible to deal with in the morning... 

Maybe every Ishtar had this mind-altering magic. The thought, morbid as it was, made her laugh. It would be just her luck.

Unlike Marik, however, Ishizu didn't have her chained up and at her mercy, although that sounded ten times better than the limbo she currently resided in, she had some control here. The next time they met, there wouldn't be any cards involved beyond credit and debit, and Mai would push harder. Next time, she'd know how Ishizu felt, even if it was just something as simple as whether or not she was interested in women. Honestly, just getting that from her would feel nothing short of miraculous. 

So, with expertise that followed years of practice, Mai knocked back the rest of her drink and headed off to bed, determined not to dream of any Ishtars.


	4. Farther

Honoring their idea from their last card game session to not have so many card game sessions, Ishizu graced Mai with her presence in the upscale side of Domino where she was more than prepared to burn through some cash. While Mai was genuinely interested in taking Ishizu out to shop, that was not to say she didn't have her own ulterior motives. Such motivations may have deviated ever so slightly from the innocent guise of taking Ishizu out on the town, and much more to do with feeling out whether or not Ishizu was interested in women so she could finally lay this to rest.

Or lay Ishizu. 

Mai swatted away the rogue and particularly unproductive train of thought in favor of paying attention to something more interesting. While Mai had intended to see Ishizu today and dressed for the occasion, she decided that a girl's day in the shopping district called for something flashier than a day at home discussing game strategies. The plunging neckline on her romper and the accompanying necklace that sat just a hair above her cleavage seemed to have a very desirable effect on Ishizu while her eyes seemed to wander. 

The neckline was a touch outrageous, so Mai couldn't accurately consider Ishizu eyeing her outfit an undeniable success, although it most definitely wasn't a bad sign, either. "Like the outfit?" Mai smirked, going in to see how Ishizu would react.

"Oh!" Ishizu said, wetting her lips and trying to wrangle the conversation that had already seemed to have slipped through the cracks of her fingers, "Yes- it's very beautiful, I was just admiring your necklace."

Of _course_ she was. 

"Thanks," Mai grinned, not about to call Ishizu on her bullshit, merely taking her admiration in stride, "now, I think we'd planned on going shopping, right? Anywhere you'd like to go first?" 

Ishizu had recovered rather smoothly once Mai had let go of how she'd been eyeing her. "Well, I mentioned before, I'm not really familiar with the area yet. Maybe we could walk around first, and go in if anything looks particularly nice?"

"Sounds great to me, babe. Let's get moving then."

The endearment seemed to throw Ishizu off momentarily, but quickly she recovered and followed along without comment. There were moments were having someone at her side dulled the world around here, no matter their age, it felt like Mai needed to keep her attention on them at all times to be sure they were going the right way, doing the right thing. It was partially born of her own need to manage a situation, but with Ishizu, she felt none of that obligation weighing her down. She didn't need to hear her company talking to her to know Ishizu was right by her side, but they did chat anyhow.

Ishizu pointed out some of the planters that lined stores and pretty decor, slowing at one point along the way to dip her hand in a fountain, a look of delight plain on her features at the cold water rushing past. Meanwhile, Mai would direct Ishizu's attention to the windows, pointing out the occasional attractive piece displayed in a storefront window, but mainly the most atrocious things they would pass. They'd laugh at the awful prints, Mai's raucous and bold while Ishizu giggled behind the palm of her hand, a smile peeking through the cracks in her fingers. Somewhere along the way, Ishizu had even stopped a passerby to ask if she could pet their dog. Everything Ishizu did just pulled Mai in further, and the hints that Ishizu may have liked her in the same way Mai did, did nothing to curb her interests either. 

They kept on, reaching the end of the left-wing of the strip, and Ishizu faltered for a moment. It didn't take long for Mai to notice what had taken her off guard, either. Something gorgeous in the window of one of her favorite stores in the complex. Something long, white, and fitted with beautiful detailing along the top and coming to their apex along a sheer neckline. Mai moved to stand by Ishizu where her friend stood transfixed, looking at it. 

It was an obvious pull for Ishizu, to say the least. Mai caught a good look at her face to see her reaction, and it was nothing short of wonder. A smile crossed Mai's lips at this, and she hooked her arm into Ishizu's. 

"Well you have to try it on," Mai insisted with sheer confidence as if there were nothing else the two of them could do, faced with such an outfit that fit Ishizu so perfectly.

"What? Oh, no," Ishizu waved her hand dismissively, a shy look shadowing the wonder that had glinted in her eyes before, "we can keep walking, I just thought it looked nice."

"Oh come on, this is one of my favorite shops here anyhow," Mai grinned, the subtle resistance making it all the more exciting to see her in something different, "even if you don't try that one on, shopping's a total bust if you can't find something you like in here."

"Well... What sort of thing are we looking for?" Ishizu asked.

"Well, we'll need to look good for the tournament coming up, won't we?" 

"I suppose that's true."

"So, we'll want something for the preliminary duels, a different outfit for the finals, and maybe something else for the after-party, too," Mai listed off.

While it was true that they may have each had something for the different events, Mai would steal any excuse she possibly could to get Ishizu trying on different things. Just in guiding her into the store, their arms locked together, she could see a number of things that would've looked beautiful on her. 

"That seems a bit extravagant, doesn't it?" Ishizu asked, and Mai could read it in her expression that it was a feeble attempt at avoidance.

"Isn't that the point? It's a KaibaCorp tournament- Extravagant is like that rich bitch's middle name. Besides, if this is going to be aired live, we might as well show our opponents a thing or two about style, don't you think?" 

A giggle escaped Ishizu at Mai's explanation, and she nodded slightly in acquiescence. "You're right, some of these opponents could use a lesson in dressing for such high stakes events... as well as personal grooming. No point in shying away from something more glamorous than usual, right?"

"That's the spirit!" Mai grinned, bumping Ishizu with her elbow lightly. "So, just grab whatever catches your eye, we can put it back later, so there's no need to be too choosy about it. You can grab some things for me, too, if you want to."

Ishizu gave her a nod, and the two of them wandered through the store together, making comments, both approving and disapproving on different cuts, styles, colors, and fabrics in their respective tastes. As they moved through the store, Mai caught Ishizu feeling different fabrics. She held a rich velveteen jacket in between her thumb and forefinger that remained on its hanger, smoothing her fingertips over it. It was sweet, how mesmerized Ishizu looked in the moment, and Mai was glad that she'd suggested bringing her here. The two of them hadn't even tried anything on yet, and still, it was satisfying just eyeing her partner looking over different items on the rack. 

The way that Ishizu ran her hands along the crushed velvet, Mai had to wonder if the allure of touching the clothing would remain just as strong if Mai was wearing it instead of the hanger. 

It felt like a sin to pick the jacket off of the rack to take from Ishizu, however, Mai didn't feel too guilty about it, considering she was taking it to set in the basket. She took a glance at the sizing and grinned- a perfect fit. "Now, this is a great pick-" Mai said, a smile on her lips and casting her eyes back to Ishizu looking to gauge a reaction on her striking features, "Mind if I try it on? It is so my color."

A smile rose on Ishizu's lips and she gave her a short nod of approval. "Yes, I think it would suit you."

Mai set down her shopping basket and slid the jacket on over her current outfit. The fact that she was trying it on outside the dressing room seemed to take Ishizu off guard, but she made no complaints about it. 

With a quick turn to look over each shoulder, Mai grinned at the fit and smoothed it out against her figure. "Well? Good as you thought it'd be?" Mai asked, all too proud of herself.

"Yes, yes... it's very nice on you," Ishizu said, her voice distant as she looked at the jacket, and consequently Mai's figure. She then reached out to gently ghost her hand along Mai's shoulder and down her arm, a coy smile curling her lips as she met her eyes. "It's a good fit, like you said."

Mai had to force herself not to lean into the touch more when Ishizu's hand began to draw away, some internal reminder that they were in a public place, that this wasn't the time to pull something, even if she'd wanted to. Mai wasn't some dumb teenager anymore; so why was it that something so innocent drew her in deeper, pushed her to fall further into this, whatever this was? 

She shrugged it off and slipped out of the jacket. There was no reason to put so much thought into it right now. There was shopping to do, and outfits to try on, so she kept looking and kept herself from looking back. 

Something white on the racks struck her as being particularly in Ishizu's range of clothing, so she checked through sizes and colors before she brought it to her for her basket. A short coat that flared out at the bottom that would wrap around Ishizu's golden shoulders, and Mai was under the assumption it would go particularly well with the one-piece she'd been eyeing in the display. 

"Here," Mai said, "you should try this on with the one you saw earlier."

"Oh, I'm not sure I should try that on. It seems a bit flashy for me, don't you think?"

"Oh, come on, are you kidding? This thing is begging to be worn by you- I can't think of anyone it'd look better on, to be completely honest."

While Mai couldn't see the flush beneath Ishizu's spice colored complexion, she knew the warmth existed beneath it. 

"Really?"

"Really really."

"Well," Ishizu said, her voice rising half an octave, "I won't argue with you, I'll... I'll at least try it on if they have something in my size."

Mai was well aware that Ishizu was desperate for some sort of excuse not to put it on, although she couldn't find a single reason why she wouldn't wear it. Even when she'd only first glanced it in the window she seemed completely entranced. There was no way Mai could have possibly let her leave the store without at least trying it on.

"You'd better," Mai grinned, gently ribbing her with an elbow before they carried on, collecting their final items in this round of shopping before they would move to split up in the dressing rooms.

As the two of them split up, Mai shed the clothes she wore in and tossed them on the stool inside the dressing room, looking for something to try on first. A short, satiny dress came first in a blush tone color and a print she didn't find atrocious. The neckline was low and plunging, so very much her style, but it was a much narrower passage and the fold and length of the sleeve made it not quite so revealing. She liked it enough, though she really needed to see it with shoes that weren't the knee-high black boots she wore in here. 

If Ishizu enjoyed the sensation of satin underneath her pretty little fingers as much as she did velvet, maybe it was even better than she initially thought. Then again, it looked fine with the jacket on as well.

Mai was drawn away from her turning and preening in the mirror when she heard Ishizu outside, gently knocking on her door. She emerged to find Ishizu wearing a dress, short, white, and fitted to her curves. It was a thicker fabric than something Mai would wear in this season, but it was certainly formal enough to suit her.

"It looks silly on me, doesn't it? Isn't it a bit too revealing?" 

Mai had no idea what she was talking about, however, she also wore something skin-tight, short, and low cut just to get her attention. Still, the neckline was particularly conservative, and the skirt wasn't even that short. It did accentuate her figure, was she uncomfortable with that? Or could it have been the lack of sleeves?

"No, not at all, it looks amazing on you," Mai assured her, gesturing to the dress. A thought then dawned on her, and Mai held up a manicured hand signaling a pause.

"Actually, I think I know what you need. Give me a second."

Mai then entered Ishizu's dressing room and grabbed the coat she'd picked up earlier, wrapping it around Ishizu's shoulders and snapping it in place before she pulled Ishizu's hair out of its neckline, letting it frame her face. Then, placing her hands on Ishizu's now covered shoulders, she turned Ishizu around to let her face a mirror. "What do you think now?"

It took a moment to let the new image settle in, but soon enough, Ishizu was subtly turning to see herself at different angles, considering it more seriously now. 

"I suppose you're right... this does make it look a bit more fitting."

"See? and if you had a brooch or maybe a necklace, a pair of earrings? Gold and blue would be such a great combination on you."

A soft, sweet sound filled the air, and Mai realized Ishizu was giggling. She didn't realize why- had she said something stupid?

"It's like you work here, Mai. I think you could convince me to wear anything."

Once the reasoning surfaced, Mai laughed along with it. "Well good! If that's the case, we're about to be the best-dressed competitors in the tournament."

She turned Ishizu back around, to give her another once over. "Okay, now what do you think of this?"

Her breath caught in her throat a bit when Ishizu looked her over wordlessly. Mai didn't know what ran through Ishizu's head in this moment, whether it was trending towards the positive or not, but she liked holding her attention like this. When Ishizu did speak up, Mai hung on every word.

"I don't know what to say exactly," Ishizu said, laughing lightly before turning her ocean eyes up at her, "you look stunning in everything, Mai. It looks very beautiful on you."

Mai lost her train of thought. She was prepared to laugh it off if Ishizu considered the dress in bad taste, to make mention that they couldn't all be winners before trying the next dress or outfit on. However, Mai was unsure what to say to something so genuine. A “thank you” seemed passé. If Ishizu had been someone else, someone like Anzu who rained endless positivity, she could flip her hair and tell her that she already knew it, or chastise her about being tacky. Now, however, it was Mai's turn to flush, and she didn't have the charm or fortune of Ishizu's bronze complexion to hide the pink in her cheeks.

So, instead of any of that, she tried something different. Mai smiled warmly and brushed a lock of sleek, raven black hair out of Ishizu's face to tuck behind her ear and threw it back at her. "I could say the same about you, princess."

It seemed like Ishizu didn't know the proper response to this kind of complement either, so Mai smoothed over it with something else.

"So, jacket on, or off?"

"Oh! I hadn't seen the sleeve detail before, would you mind if I touched it? It looks rather interesting."

"I wish you would!"

Their session of trying on clothing continued on this way for a while, Mai being an honest mirror to Ishizu, telling her when something genuinely didn't look right, or when something looked perfect on her. She'd given her a gentle push into other colors, to which Ishizu's subtle surrender came with a few black articles of clothing when Mai brought up the idea of gold detailing, or pairing it with something white.

The highlight of their trip was easily when Ishizu put on the item that they'd initially came here for. The fabric flowed over her figure perfectly, the bottom of the pants flowing out at her ankles creating a parallel to the curve of her hips, the neckline of the top half sparkling. Where Mai would usually offer some consideration to accessorizing, she was near speechless looking at her now as she stepped out of the dressing room. 

"Ishizu, you look stunning. That's the best thing you've put on the whole trip," Mai said, putting great effort in keeping her jaw from going slack.

"It's... too long. The bottoms on the pants are dragging on the ground."

Mai laughed, "it's like, so cheap to get the legs hemmed if that's all you're worried about, you know?"

"Well, that, and... I've never worn anything like this."

Mai didn't quite understand. She'd brought her other things that were much more dissimilar to the dresses she'd seen her in when she came here in than what she was wearing now. This was just a slight elevation to that, so what was really the issue?

"It suits you, Ishizu, I think it's beautiful on you. Can you imagine wearing this when we win the tournament together?" Mai smiled and stood next to her, having changed back into the clothes she came in.

A pause. A beat passed, and while Ishizu smiled, it didn't match what she said following it. "I can't," she said gently, "I'm going to change back into my clothes. You said we'd go to lunch afterwards, right? I've gotten rather peckish after our excursion."

"Of course, it's my treat," Mai assured her.

She didn't want to pressure Ishizu about the issue, but the whole instance seemed odd to her, she thought about it as they checked out, how Ishizu bought most things aside from the one that had drawn her into the store in the first place. Mai tried to move past it in favor of Ishizu's feelings on it.

It didn't mean she understood it in the slightest, however. 

Still, they exited together, prepared to get lunch when something even weirder happened.

The giant electronic billboards that once displayed advertisements, as well as the televisions and computer screens at the electronics outlets on the other side of the strip, all went blank with a pop. 

Was this some sort of brownout? Mai wrapped an arm around Ishizu, unsure of what was happening.

Within a second the screens had returned to functioning, this time displaying Seto Kaiba through the streets of downtown Domino. 

Not a brownout, just a megalomaniac, apparently.

***

"I can't believe he did that," Mai laughed as she and Ishizu resumed their plans for lunch, now prodding at an appetizer with her fork.

Seto Kaiba's announcement that took over the shopping center, and what Mai would bet extended through every public square of downtown Domino, was to formally declare the upcoming KaibaCorp dueling tournament. It was proclaimed to be of the highest challenge, that only the strongest and most cunning duelists could even attempt to make it to the finale where brand new state of the art technology would be revealed. There was plenty of other self-aggrandizing monologuing that went on, but Mai mainly nitpicked the interesting parts.

One of the details Mai considered interesting enough to tune in to was that the highest-ranking duelists, or ones deemed worthy enough through victory algorithms and whatever other supercomputer math mumbo jumbo, had already received invitations.

According to the new and obnoxious line of email, text, and other notifications displayed on her phone screen, Mai had made the list.

The event was dramatic in a supervillain level proportion, which was exactly the style of Seto Kaiba. Perhaps it was time to consider moving out of Domino City, considering he had complete control over the place. A trip to Europe sounded nice, maybe Ishizu would accompany her after the tournament?

"Somehow, I think you probably can," Ishizu said, mirth twinkling in her bright eyes from across the table, "I don't think this is the first time he's conducted an announcement like that."

"You know, you aren't wrong. I think I remember something like this around the time of Duelist Kingdom... You'd think there'd be a better way to conduct promotions."

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Ishizu said, but the serene smile that settled on her full lips gave away that she was more preoccupied with the food on the table than Seto Kaiba.

"Wait a second," Mai started, processing Ishizu's nonchalance, "did you know this was going to happen?"

It was one thing that Ishizu knew about the tournament ahead of time, that much she could handle. Ishizu seemed very well to do, and though Mai didn't know much going on behind the scenes at Battle City aside from Marik's corrupt intentions, Ishizu never seemed surprised. She'd just figured that Ishizu might've been closer to Kaiba, like some silent partner or something. Knowing about the announcement and not telling her, however, seemed a little different.

"Well, I didn't know that Kaiba would be doing this exactly, per se," Ishizu shrugged, "however, I did have some idea of when the announcement would be, and for him to do something extreme, well, that much isn't such a surprise, is it?"

Mai snorted, "Well, you're right about that. Have you read the details on the invite yet? Can't wait to see what's supposed to be better than the blimp."

"I've only glanced at it so far, but I hear the lodgings are going to be held at the KaibaCorp luxury hotel just north of here," Ishizu said, a smile twisting her expression, showing a little more interest than before.

"Holy shit," Mai grinned, her elbows on the table and leaning forward towards Ishizu, "I've only been there once, but do you think there's an early check-in? You know, for us VIP players?" 

"Well, I can't be certain, but I hope so," Ishizu giggled, "I hope the catering's as good as it was in Battle City. While there's plenty of things I don't enjoy concerning Kaiba, at the very least, he knows how to put on an event."

"You're damn right he does!" Mai laughed.

Spending time with Ishizu was so refreshing, and with the way things had been going before the two of them had met, Mai needed this. Still, all too soon, the two of them had blown through what they were calling lunch, although the sun creeping down towards the horizon signaled it would more accurately be dinner, and they'd have to head their separate ways. Even as Mai was growing tired, the entire day out on the town having taken its toll on her energy, she still didn't want to leave Ishizu's side.

The way their hands would brush together occasionally as they walked out into the main strip where they'd met earlier tempted her to grab tight and not let go until the morning came. It wasn't like that was really a choice here, though. Even so, when Ishizu made mention of having to get home, the temptation of lacing her fingers between Ishizu's proved to be too much, and she latched on.

"Wait," Mai said gently, and it seemed to get Ishizu's attention, though her eyes wandered to their hands and the way they connected. 

"Yes?" Ishizu asked, her voice nearly cracking.

Mai had to think of something that wasn't completely ridiculous to say.

"Well, I know your place is a ways away from here," Mai said, her voice soft, and she ran her thumb over the back of Ishizu's palm in tender circles, "you could spend the night at my place, if you wanted to."

"Oh."

That didn't sound particularly positive in relation to Mai's cause. It's not like she could've expected much else, though, could she have? Even if what she had said wasn't completely out of nowhere, Ishizu was a busy woman. Mai had no doubts that her friend had things she had to do in the morning, or things still to do tonight.

Ishizu did something unexpected, however, and took a step closer to Mai, looking up at her with a warm smile. "That's very generous of you, Mai..." she said softly, "I'd like to, but... well, not tonight."

Somewhere during that, Ishizu seemed to sway forward ever so slightly before righting herself. 

Was she thinking of kissing her?

"Goodnight, Mai. Travel safe."

There was really only one thing for certain after all of this; Mai was going to regret not making a move in this instance of opportunity, and spend the rest of the night thinking about that.

"Goodnight, Ishizu."


	5. Round One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back on track with the chapter postings.

A week had passed since Mai's shopping excursion with Ishizu and that moment where they'd nearly kissed. While Mai was busy with her own life, whenever there was a spare moment like the one she sank into now, the image of Ishizu's face leaning in close to her own, the feeling of her breath against her skin flooded into her head. Who could blame her? Ishizu was an incredibly beautiful woman, and that alone would've kept Mai thinking of a moment like that. It was what laid beyond her pretty face that hammered it into her head. Ishizu was a woman of accomplishment and talent, witty, and kind. The way she ran her fingers across her skin, felt the fabric of her clothing and subsequently dragged her soft hands across her body beneath, it sucked her in all the more deeply.

It was one week later, and Mai found herself with a drink in her manicured hand considering it long after she should have let the brief instance fade. Knocking back the remainder at the bottom of her glass, she continued thinking about it. It wasn't as if her attraction to Ishizu was new, as if the feeling of a missed opportunity was the beginning of her interests. Even when she'd only just met her again for the first time in years at the pharmacy. Ever since she'd asked to exchange numbers, Mai had been trying to figure out whether or not she was coming onto her. 

And then when she visited her house, comparing cards and gearing up for the tournament when she spoke of something more, Mai was sure it was going to be something more promising than a card game. Even if it hadn't been, Ishizu also wasn't particularly reserved when it came to touching her, leaning against her and sitting close. Mai regretted not acting on it or saying something. She'd never shied away from flirting before, but she supposed none of her flings or interests had felt this important before. It'd never been so serious that Mai felt that she'd really lose something meaningful if it didn't work out.

It was different around Ishizu, though. She couldn't be sure if it was because of their relationship with Battle City, the way some of her deepest scars were ones that someone else could relate to, or if it was something even more than that. Either way, Mai felt like she could be herself around Ishizu, and she figured just gaining some insight as to whether or not Ishizu found her attractive on a level beyond platonic would've been good enough. Mai had been able to latch onto that, but whenever a hint of something more arose, it slipped through her fingers like sand, and she grasped at it fruitlessly for more.

Thinking about it like this wasn't helping, and Mai groaned in the realization of it. She set her glass aside and moved deeper into her apartment for a shower. A deep sigh left her lips as she let hot water pound into her, washing her hair.

This shouldn't have been this hard. If she wanted something out of this, she should take it for herself, and stop overthinking it. Tomorrow was the first day of competitive play starting in the afternoon, and Mai and Ishizu had planned to sign into the hotel room earlier that morning. It was a three-day tournament, and the two of them would be sharing a room together. If there was ever a time to make her feelings known, it would be now. 

Even if, in spite of all of the signs in front of her, she was somehow turned down, the two of them were adults. They could put their feelings and faux pas aside to play the tournament with their absolute best. She had faith in herself to do that much, and she had no doubts that Ishizu was going to be an admirable player through all of it.

And at the end of the tournament? She planned to leave with a trophy between the two of them, and if all went well, maybe she'd stay in the pro circuit a while longer. It's not like she'd had any plans to slow down, anyway. 

So, she stepped out of the shower, dried off, and headed off to sleep hard and dreamless. She had a big three day weekend coming up, and she'd need to be up early for it.

***

The morning sun shone bright, and admittedly, the KaibaLand tournament/resort area was sparkling beneath it. The infinity pool and wet bar were especially tempting in the current weather, however, she'd already met with Ishizu, and their current plan was to check into their luxury suite, which was just as well. Mai needed to put her bags away up in their new room as well as claim some victories in the first round of the tournament before she even considered slipping into a swimsuit.

While the morning sun might've looked stunning over the water, it didn't compare to Ishizu, wearing the dress the two of them had picked out together during their discussion. She linked her arm with Ishizu's and pulled her closer, a grin curling up the corner of her lips. "Ready to check in to our room? You've got the reservation, right?" Mai asked, and she was delighted by the circumstance.

While she'd admit to having been preoccupied with budding feelings for her tournament partner, the rush of a tournament was something she'd nearly forgotten. With this being a KaibaCorp competition, it was even more intense of a thrill. As critical as she was of Kaiba being overly dramatic, she'd never complained about it when it came down to the efforts and expenses that went into making his publicity features as flashy and exciting as possible.

"Oh- yes! I do, we can head in now," Ishizu said, meeting her glance with a gentle smile.

The check-in at the front desk was uneventful, seeing as they'd gotten here before a rush of other VIP competitors had (although Mai had no idea how many VIP competitors were coming or had been invited, but she thought she'd figure it out soon enough). The room itself, however, had been of great interest to her. Tall windows lined the walls, offering a view over the pier where one of the resort pools looked as if it might've melded with the ocean, and if she were to look out the other, she could see the amusement parks, some of the rides seeming like they could poke up into the clouds. The bathroom was spotless, towels looking fluffy and one of them having been folded into a swan on the sink.

The bed, however, while it looked incredibly comfortable with the mountain of fluffed pillows, was exactly that. The bed, as in, only one bed. Mai would make no complaints about sharing a bed with Ishizu, although, it certainly seemed like some sort of oversight. Mai set down her duffle bag and plopped herself down on the edge of the bed.

"Looks like we'll have to share, huh?" Mai asked, showing no hint of distaste in this. "You know, it seems like a little bit of an oversight for the resort to book doubles teams into rooms with only one bed. I'd leave a nasty review if I didn't enjoy your company so much."

"Yes, well... I suppose this is my fault," Ishizu said, her voice higher in octave, apparently finding some need to explain her actions.

So, she wanted to share a room with one bed? That was certainly an interesting feature to their stay.

"I'd requested one of the corner rooms, considering the view, but I didn't realize that I'd be requesting a room with only one bed... I'm very sorry."

Mai only smiled at this. There was no way in hell that was true, Mai had booked enough hotel rooms in her life to know they'd tell her it would be a room with one bed instead of two if she was requesting a change, but it was a valiant effort on Ishizu's part. She wouldn't call her on it. 

Yet.

"Oh, no need to apologize, I don't mind cuddling." Mai was holding Ishizu on the ropes now, and it was refreshing that she'd regained some footing in this. 

Ishizu flustered under the new attention and Mai loved it. "I-I could sleep on the sofa, if it's an issue since it's my fault this happened."

"No, not at all. I really don't mind it, Ishizu. Besides, with all the time we'll be spending outside kicking ass, I bet I'll fall asleep before my head even hits the pillow," she insisted.

"Now, speaking of kicking ass, you want to look over my cards one more time before the tournament starts up again in another hour or two?"

Ishizu, seeming to take some refuge in Mai relenting with her subtle torments, sat beside her and agreed rather enthusiastically to the idea. "Yes! That seems like an excellent plan, I think!" Ishizu agreed, taking out her deck to compare.

The late morning was well spent playing casual card games, debating strategy, and when Mai suggested they shouldn't burn themselves out on card games before the tournament had even been started, Ishizu was rather agreeable to the idea, and so they sprawled out on their now shared and rather enormous hotel bed, talking about the events ahead that were to come.

"I know you had some inside information about the tournament coming up, do you also know the other VIP competitors that were invited?" Mai asked, leaning back into fluffed pillows, curious about the extent of Ishizu's knowledge on this.

"Well, the information hadn't been made available to me, so I can't say for sure. I could guess, but, I haven't stayed as up to date on tournaments after Battle City concluded. Even if he's not as active in tournaments now, I can't imagine Seto Kaiba throwing a tournament and not inviting the p- the King of Games." 

"Fair point," Mai said with a smile, "I know there's some newer competition I've seen crop up at these things, but you'd think VIP would make them either national champions or really highly ranked, right?"

"Yes, that would make sense..." Ishizu said, her voice airy with consideration. "Oh, what about that Hawking girl? The American? I do recall her being particularly notable within the past few years, she's kind of a sensation, isn't she?"

"Yeah, that wouldn't be surprising, think she'd pair up with Yuugi? I thought I remembered hearing they were family friends," Mai said, although she really couldn't imagine it. She figured Yuugi'd be more likely to pair up with one of the local heavy hitters like Kaiba or Jounouchi, but maybe he'd humor her.

While Mai gave a moment to humor the idea of it, she didn't have as much of an interest in dueling partners as much as she should maybe should've been, considering the tournament would be starting in a few hours. Still, despite the urgency of the upcoming tournament, it was hard to put thought into anything that wasn't the woman lying across from her who had booked them into a single bed hotel room. No, Mai was much more invested in testing the potential that existed between the two of them.

She'd told herself that she'd use the opportunity of spending this time alone to test the waters, and with knowing what she knew, Mai couldn't think of a reason not to do so right now, despite the obvious ones that existed. Instead, she reached out, tracing her fingers over the bare skin of Ishizu's arm, meeting her with a gentle smile. Ishizu stopped her analysis of whether or not Rebecca Hawkins and Yuugi Muto presented any compatibility in their most current playing decks when she realized Mai's hand was on her, her eyes shooting a quick glance to where their skin made a connection, and then back to her. She struggled for something to say, so Mai took the liberty of filling the open air for her.

"You know, Ishizu," Mai said gently, the smooth back of her palm ghosting over Ishizu's arm, "I really don't mind the single bed, in case there may have been some other reason you were interested in staying in this room..."

Ishizu floundered for a response, or any sort of words it seemed, while Mai continued to touch her, running her fingers through thick black hair. "You can tell me to back off if you don't like this... I won't be offended."

"I don't- I mean, I don't dislike it..." Ishizu stammered, her eyes cast away from Mai's.

"But?" Mai asked, knowing full well that there was something that remained unsaid between them.

Ishizu paused, thinking on it for a long moment before she spoke up again.

"I've never been close to anyone like this before."

Ishizu's voice was barely a breath above a whisper, her eyelashes fluttering shut, waiting for something.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Mai said gently, brushing hair out of her face to see her better. 

The last thing Mai would want in this moment was for Ishizu to feel uncomfortable, or draw away from her now when the two of them were meant to be getting closer and communicating with each other during the following partner duels, so she drew back. "We don't have to talk about this now," she said, her voice becoming lower to soothe her, "we can focus on the competition instead."

"I'm sorry, Mai," she said gently, having been caught, "I wish I could talk about it, but I don't know how."

Mai hushed her softly and pet her head. "It's okay, I promise. We've got all weekend together, now doesn't need to be the time."

Mai took Ishizu's hand into her own and brought it up to her lips, placing a gentle kiss along her knuckles. "Whenever you're ready, alright? In the meantime, we should focus on who we're going to crush first in competition, don't you think?"

Ishizu flashed her a smile, and Mai was certain that she could wait if it meant seeing a smile like that. Additionally, Ishizu also wasn't turning her down, which was a good enough outcome for now. If they were going to have a falling out from Mai pushing this, it would be best it didn't happen until they'd claimed a tournament prize. Thus, Mai pushed herself into an upright position, ready to slip into a pair of heels to begin the first round of competition in style.

"Well, we've waited around here long enough, don't you think? I think the first wave of competition's starting soon!"

Mai was right on that account. When they'd exited into the resort area, duelists and onlookers alike had flooded the paved areas, and Mai could make out a handful of contestants she was able to recognize. Vivienne Wong, Mako Tsunami, and a handful of others that appeared in various tournaments, as well as a few newcomers she couldn't place a name to. The real question was who to kick off the event with? Mai narrowed her eyes, searching the crowd with interest, debating between easy prey to warm up with, or serious competition to knock out early on.

She bumped elbows with Ishizu and cracked her knuckles. "So, what do you think?" Mai said with an invigorated grin, hoping that she hadn't bothered Ishizu too much with what she'd said in the hotel room, "any pairs you've got your eye on to start this off with?"

"Not quite, maybe we should head into the crowd further to scope out who's here in the lower tiers?"

Warm up it was.

"Sure thing, princess, let's move in!" Mai said, grabbing onto Ishizu's hand and dragging her through the strip to search for familiar faces or equipped duel disks. A number of those things cropped up in Mai's sights, however, when they were about to approach a set of newcomers (or at least faces that Mai didn't recognize), a pair of exceedingly familiar voices echoed in the background. Mai whipped her blonde curls over her shoulder to make sure she hadn't been hearing things. Apparently, however, she was not.

No fucking way. 

Apparently, a flashback from Duelist Kingdom was in order, and her two favorite chumps she'd loved to tease had come around to compete again. Dinosaur Ryuuzaki and Insector Haga had come bearing duel disks and the unfortunate brunt of the first wave of teenagedom. It was strange seeing them as anything other than tiny dweebs, but apparently, they'd gotten older as well. Mai would stake a bet that they still had plenty of growing to do before they were able to take down Mai and even more to beat her while she was part of an incredibly capable dueling duo.

"I think I see a great place to start," Mai grinned, turning back to face Ishizu, all too pleased with her current find, pulling Ishizu along further.

"Ryuuzaki and Haga?" Ishizu laughed, "I guess that's somewhere to start."

Mai stepped closer to make her first confrontation, all too pleased with herself. "Rex! Weevil! I haven't seen you two in forever. Why don't we catch up over a duel?" she called out, her voice carrying over the crowd. It caught more than the attention of Rex and Weevil, but furthermore, the attention of the onlookers and KaibaCorp camera crew covering the duels throughout the event. 

The two of them didn't seem particularly pleased by her challenge, though she could only guess as to why. "Who's your friend, Mai?" Weevil asked, although he only answered himself, "Oh, I remember, another semifinalist who lost in Battle City?"

Rex and Weevil snickered at this, and while they may have grown a few inches, it appeared that their raucous cackling had become no less grating, and their maturity and sense of humor were just as stunted. That was just fine, Mai had her own response to this. She wrapped her arm around Ishizu's shoulder in a friendly gesture, laying some sort of friendly claim to her and her accomplishments. "Yup, Ishizu here went up against Seto Kaiba in the semifinals, which is funny, Weevil, considering neither you or Rex made it past the Battle City Preliminary."

They'd found this remark considerably less funny, to which Mai only grinned. "So? Are we going to duel or not, boys?" She asked, letting go of Ishizu to bring out her duel disk, powering it up and slipping her deck of cards out of her thigh holster to let the machine shuffle. 

"Fine! You're going to regret this!" Rex retorted back this time, and thus proceeded their first match in the KaibaCorp doubles tournament.

Mai, having never truly dueled in a double match outside of the simulations on one of the industrial illusions dueling apps in the past week as a practice test, and the duel really proved the challenge of such a match. Whereas from a technical standard, Weevil and Rex had both improved or maintained their dueling skills between this moment and the last time she'd seen them, however, the two of them couldn't be bothered to work together to accomplish their goals. With their local level rivalry being as intense as it was even before Duelist Kingdom, the two of them were playing as individuals instead of a team, constantly trying to one-up the other. Even when one of them would manage a good play or some sort of complex combo attack, they were much too distracted with each other to gain a serious enough headway to threaten Mai and Ishizu.

Even though Mai and Ishizu had that advantage of early notice of the competition coming up being a team tournament, Ishizu needed credit where it was due in her predictions; there really was no saving Rex and Weevil from themselves.

It didn't matter if their first match had been easy, Mai still cheered for winning, giving Ishizu a two-handed high five. Even after all this time, the thrill of competition like this still left Mai so energized, and seeing Ishizu at her side to be a part of this success was an even newer satisfaction that flooded her. How could she have ever thought of quitting when she felt so alive doing this? Right now, she figured that she'd be coming to these events until she was rocking a diamond-studded cane as a senior citizen or until they stopped inviting her.

And so, the two of them made their rounds, seeking out other double duelist teams and challenging them to a match. Unlike Ryuuzaki and Haga, the majority of the other teams the two had matched with had been a pleasure to interact with. Even as Mai and Ishizu came to be the winners of their matches, they congratulated the other teams on a match well played and even shook hands with a set of the newcomers debuting for their first public competitive duel. It was really something beautiful to be a part of, the first ever double duel tournament.

While Mai had always cherished the thrill that came with a good challenge, she didn't recall Battle City feeling like this. Maybe Ishizu at her side made the experience into what it was. She wouldn't doubt it. After all, she wouldn't have even turned up at this tournament should it not have been for that coincidence at the drug store. Even beyond that, though, she really felt like she fit in next to Ishizu, that so long as she was by her side, Mai was right where she belonged.

They nearly stumbled over each other laughing when they got back to their hotel room, over what exactly, Mai couldn't remember. It didn't matter, however. The two of them had planned to celebrate a flawless day of double dueling victories with daiquiris, to which Mai had already stocked the hotel mini fridge with the ingredients. 

Mai was more than happy to demonstrate her bartending skills while Ishizu watched delightedly as she tossed up the steel cocktail shaker and caught it before pouring one out for both she and Ishizu. Mai was well aware she was head over heels for Ishizu (who was without much practice drinking, so she toned down the alcohol content marginally), even if they'd resolved to put off their conversation on the matter until later, although they'd never made mention of when.

They laughed and chatted over their drinks, gently bumping elbows as they sat at the edge of their shared bed. The toll of their fun in the first day of competition had begun to take over, and Mai stifled a yawn behind her hand. She wouldn't be going to sleep just yet, but she knocked back the rest of her daiquiri with plans for changing into a nightgown and brushing her teeth before getting a little more comfortable. 

"I think I'm going to change for the night," Mai told Ishizu, biting back another yawn as she was about to stand.

She was about to stand, until Ishizu's fingers slotted between Mai's and grasped her hand tightly. 

"Before you do," Ishizu said gently, fixing Mai with a soft smile, her glass having been emptied as well and sitting off to the side as she twisted a lock of her dark hair with two of her fingers, "do you think now might be a good time to talk about it?"


	6. Semi-Finals

"Is now a good time to talk about it?"

The question caught Mai off guard. When she had told Ishizu that they could hold off on this conversation, Ishizu hadn't been particularly forthcoming, and she'd operated beneath the assumption that Ishizu would want to talk about this after the competition. Nevertheless, Mai wasn't about to shoot her down, either. She moved to sit a bit closer, meeting Ishizu's eyes and getting ready for some sort of response.

"Oh, sure, we can... talk about it now," Mai said, flashing Ishizu a smile.

"Oh, oh good..." Ishizu said, moving closer to Mai as well, "because I think I'd like to."

Mai was about to open her mouth, say something in response, but her lips were very soon covered, and shut up by Ishizu's own. All coherent sentences and logical thought seemed to slip from Mai's head and out of her ear at that moment, and there was nothing else she could have asked for. She was delighted, she was disoriented. This had all been a very abrupt change to Ishizu's previous hesitations, but Mai, enchanted as she was by this sudden turn in their relationship, let her hands settle on Ishizu's hips and she kissed her back.

Yes, this was it. Ishizu's mouth overlapping with her own and being held in a searing kiss had been exactly what Mai wanted. The soft back and forth of Ishizu's lips against hers and the slight clumsiness to Ishizu's actions were all like heaven to Mai. Somewhere, her rational brain existed in that foggy space between her ears and mess of blonde hair, but Mai's interest in acknowledging it had dwindled when Ishizu was just about in her lap right now.

If she did, however, she would probably pull back and consider Ishizu's apprehension from earlier. She might have considered whether or not this would go anywhere, and if it had or ended up awkward in the morning to follow if it would change things between them in light of the competition. There were plenty of things to consider, but Mai didn't give a damn right now while Ishizu's soft arms were wrapped around her neck and she kissed her like the morning wouldn't come.

Eventually, however, Ishizu parted from her and Mai's senses seemed to flood back into her head. At least she should ask Ishizu what she intended from all this.

"So, there wasn't much talking just then," Mai said with a coy smile, stroking Ishizu's cheek and tucking her sleek ebony hair behind her ear, "not that I'm complaining, of course."

Just because her insight had returned to her, however, didn't mean she'd put any distance between them. Physical or metaphorical. 

"Right," Ishizu giggled, stammering softly, and leaning into Mai's hand, "I'm sorry, I'm not sure how to have this conversation. I've never actually... pursued someone before."

While she was trying not to get her hopes too high, pursued sounded promising, and Mai's optimism preceded whatever would come of their conversation. Honestly, it had probably dawned upon her in the corner store when they'd met and it had yet to elude her. 

"Yeah?" Mai asked, her voice low and her hand trailing down to rest along Ishizu's shoulder, "that's okay. Maybe we can start with what inspired you to book a room for us with one hotel bed?"

While Ishizu's dark complexion hid any traces of visible warmth in her cheeks, the sheepish smile that curled her full lips betrayed the blush hidden behind melanin. "Right," she began, "I just... wanted to be closer to you, Mai. I tried to be subtle in finding excuses, and I wanted to hide behind it being a mistake on the hotel's part, but, you saw through me pretty easily in that."

The confession was cute, and even as Ishizu averted her eyes from her, Mai couldn't stop looking at her.

"If you wanted to get closer to me, why not ask?" Mai didn't mean to chastize Ishizu on this, she'd just been curious. Through the duration of them knowing each other, it seemed like a game of hot and cold trying to decipher how Ishizu saw the two of them. There were several moments Mai read as flirting, only to be dropped in the following moment as if it had never occurred. Now that Ishizu had admitted to feeling something beyond the platonic side of things, Mai couldn't help but feel curious as to why that was.

"That's a little harder to explain," Ishizu laughed, but Mai could sense the tension in it. While she wouldn't press her to go on if the topic made her uncomfortable, Ishizu went on without prompting. "I think I've struggled with doing things that were just for myself for a while. When it came to Marik, chasing him down halfway across the world and forcing Kaiba's hand to start a tournament to collect the god cards... Honestly, it seemed simple, despite the stakes."

Another round of humorless laughter escaped her at the confession, but she continued. "Doing things for myself is harder. I'm so familiar with the old traditions. Leaving the tombs was hard, but living a life outside of it, and trying to understand what I want instead of what's expected is even harder. Everything seemed mapped out for me then, but now... I'm sorry, I'm probably not making any sense."

"No, no," Mai said, shaking her head and taking Ishizu's hands in her own, "I get it. I mean, I can't say I know exactly what that's like, but I understand. Go on."

A smile graced Ishizu's lips at the encouragement, and her eyes found her way to Mai's once more. "Well, I've been trying to find things I could be attached to, something I could enjoy while I felt so out of my element, moving to Domino. I don't want to sound sentimental, but when I heard word of the Kaiba's making plans for another tournament, it felt like-"

"Destiny?" Mai said with a grin, to which Ishizu lightly smacked her arm.

"Oh, you stop that. But, yes. It had seemed like something that might help with getting my bearings here, and I'd never dueled professionally outside of Battle City. Even in spite of what happened there, I at least enjoyed the element of the card games. And then I saw you."

"You seemed like you had everything figured out in the places I hadn't. I thought that I admired you because I wanted to be like you, but... it didn't take long to realize that... that wasn't quite right, either. And then I made some slight alterations in our hotel reservations. You would always get so close to me whenever we were together, I assumed you wouldn't be terribly upset over sharing a bed."

"Yeah?" Mai grinned, combing through Ishizu's hair with her fingers. "Well, you're right about that."

Another round of blushing from Ishizu, hiding her mouth behind delicate fingers this time. "Well, that's good," Ishizu said, still bashful, but at least Mai had a better grasp on how she'd felt now. 

Mai ghosted her hand over Ishizu's, taking her's into her own now, and away from her face. "Yeah, it is good. So, now that I know we're on the same page, where does this go for us?" Mai asked her, forcing herself back from going in for another kiss before she had an answer on that. 

"Well..." Ishizu began anew, "I mean, I can't say for certain what will happen but, I was hoping that we could... date?"

"I'd like that," Mai said gently, running her thumb over the back of Ishizu's palm, "and, how far did you want this to go tonight?"

"Well," Ishizu shied away at this, that secret blush flaring up again while she cast her gaze against the bright white of the duvet. Mai wished she'd look back at her, let her see the color that shimmered in her eyes for a moment before she drew her into another kiss. "Kissing was nice. Could we do that again..?"

It was beyond nice, but Mai wouldn't correct her right now when she could've kissed her instead.

Mai cupped Ishizu's cheek, gently lifting her face to look at her head-on before she leaned in to press into her full lips and kiss her more properly this time. Ishizu's movements became more familiar, less clumsy than before, and Mai drew a squeal from her lips as she pulled her in to sit in her lap, but she made no further complaint about it. She melted into Ishizu's kisses, stroking her long black her, her nails gently running against her scalp until the two of them fell back together into their hotel bed.

As they parted, laying side by side, Mai couldn't help resist flashing Ishizu a warm smile. The day now behind them had been the most fun that she could remember, and the night seemed equally, if not more, promising. In the duels they'd taken on today, Ishizu always had a clever card to play or strategy to enact, and Mai felt fortunate she'd been the one Ishizu wanted at her side. But even beyond her wit, Ishizu shone brighter than the gold she wore. It was a glorious occasion seeing her in her element, so cool, confident, and more than anything, joyous.

The mirth in her eyes then was the same as how she looked at her now. Mai felt like they'd already brought back their trophy. Even as a vicious competitor, Mai felt as though losing wouldn't have mattered- though, she was still going to fight tooth and nail to take it all the way.

Mai reached out, running her hand along Ishizu's exposed arm. "You were amazing today."

Ishizu giggled and playfully shoved Mai's shoulder. 

"Oh hush, you were every bit as good. I think your best play was eliminating Haga's Great Moth." 

"Oh, that old thing? Psh, I've seen it done at least twice already. Now, your play with Raigeki was way more impressive- especially in a doubles match."

But Ishizu only giggled, insisting that Mai hush or quit, to which Mai refused, their back and forth continuing on until they'd laughed themselves out of energy or forgotten where their conversation started. Mai, wiping away tears at the corner's of her eyes from all the laughter, sat up. "I'm going to go change into pajamas, alright? We'd better get some rest if we're going to kick ass as well as we did today." 

Ishizu's smile shifted into what could only be called a pout, but she made no protests. She did, however, begin stripping out of her dress, to which she wore nothing underneath, and was the one to make Mai flush this time. 

"Why change?" Ishizu said, wearing only a coy smile now, "I much prefer to sleep in the nude, anyhow. Besides, it's rather warm, wouldn't you agree?"

It was certainly a change in pace that Mai hadn't been prepared for, however, if Ishizu was about to strip in front of her, Mai wasn't about to turn her suggestion down. 

"Well," Mai said, her mouth dry as she made a valiant effort to keep her eyes locked on Ishizu's, "If you're not going to be a prude, neither am I."

Mai stripped out of her shorts and her top, leaving little to the imagination now before she sat at the edge of the bed. She lifted her hips off the sheets and made a show of pulling them down and off of her long legs, occasionally casting a coy gaze back at Ishizu with a smile, finding her completely transfixed by the performance. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, leaving it out of the way of the clasps on her bra. Before she took that last lacy article of clothing off, however, a grand idea dawned on her.

"Oh, Ishizu, would you be a dear and help me out with the clasps? They're always _so_ tricky." The grin on her face was evident in the highest notes of her words, and she was certain her partner would enjoy what she was asking of her. With the way she'd caught her staring at her cleavage at the mall only a week ago, Mai figured that Ishizu would seize the opportunity before her. 

"Oh," Ishizu said, near scandalized by the suggestion, and Mai wondered if this was somehow too much despite Ishizu being nude behind her before she vocalized something, "of course, what sort of partner would I be not to spare you the trouble?" 

Mai delighted in Ishizu humoring her act, and soon enough, the clasps were released and Mai flung the damn thing to the other side of the room. She'd worry about it in the morning. Right now, Ishizu just stripped her down to nothing while she lay nude across from her. 

Mai scooted to lay closer to her, slipping into the sheets just as Ishizu had to be closer to her. She reached across and trailed her hands up and down her smooth arms with mirth glinting in her smile. "So, back at the mall, I think there was something you might've liked," Mai teased, all too pleased with their current situation.

Ishizu smiled wryly at her, but she didn't try and shy away from her accusations this time. The tip of her gold bound finger ghosted over her collarbone and along her sternum and along the line of her cleavage. "May I?" 

A grin crossed Mai's lips at just how polite Ishizu could be in spite of their circumstances, and still, she even made that sexy. "You may," she allowed, and just as soon as she'd granted Ishizu permission, her soft hands cupped her breasts, her thumb sweeping gently over a pert nipple. Mai sighed in content at the touch while her own hands wandered the length of Ishizu's sides and threatened to move lower when Ishizu stopped her, breaking their kiss.*

"Don't you think that would be better saved for when we win?" Ishizu's words soft against her lips despite the tortuous implication that lay within them.

"Oh?" Mai laughed breathily, "Am I going to need to earn that?"

"Mm-hm," Ishizu lilted, although even after the last light of dusk had long gone, leaving them in the dark, Mai could see that Ishizu wanted more as well. If Ishizu wanted to play that game, Mai could play, too.

"Well, if that's the case, turn around."

Mai spent the rest of her waking moments that night pressed against Ishizu's back, arms hooked around her soft waist, nose nuzzled into her neck. Otherwise, the night passed by uneventfully, and the two of them were able to rest soundly until morning.

Mai slept extremely well that night.

***

The morning held no traces of awkwardness, although neither half of the pair was nearly as handsy as the night before, and Mai did find some interest in a cool shower before they would head out to secure their place in the semi-finals. Even so, Mai would share coy smiles and glances with Ishizu throughout the day and between duels. Still, when the moment had come to it and they found themselves in a doubles duel, there was nothing but collaborative focus.

Mai would admit, the existence of her wager with Ishizu pushed her to fight harder and be a little more cunning. It certainly didn't have the height of the stakes as Battle City, but it served as every bit as much of a motivation.

In total, the two of them secured another three duels and earned a total of six of the battle charms necessary to proceed into the finals before sundown. Together, they'd taken out the teams of Rebecca Hawkins and Leon von Schroder, as well as another two sets of notable newcomers that must've been about sixteen. Still, they weren't easy targets, either. 

"Alright- now that we've locked in all of our charms, we've got access to the pool party for the semi-finalists," Ishizu recounted, rolling one of them between her fingers before popping it back into her wrist band. 

"A pool party- you know, I've said it before, but the longer this tournament goes on, the happier I am that Mokuba's organized this event," Mai laughed.

"Right? It's much more efficient than it being announced from a blimp, or helicopter, or whatever other aircraft Seto Kaiba might have in mind," Ishizu laughed. 

"Or calling us all to the middle of nowhere with locator cards, only to appear out of the sky and drag us all onto said aircraft," Mai laughed, bumping elbows with Ishizu. "Anyhow, do you know anything about who might've made it to the finals?"

"Nothing official, only speculation."

"Well, I'd love to speculate with you."

A giggle escaped Ishizu but she went on, "well, I know that it's technically Mokuba's tournament, however, I can't imagine Seto Kaiba not competing in it. I also heard Joey Wheeler was competing, and I didn't hear anything about him dropping out yet."

"No way! Joey's in this?" Mai laughed. It truly did seem like Battle City had circled back once more, only on a happier note this time around. "Well, if we go head to head with him and whoever he's teamed up with, I'm definitely kicking his ass this time around."

"I have no doubts you will. You two knew each other back during Battle City, didn't you? You seemed rather... close." Ishizu said it so politely, but Mai knew what she was asking her.

"Oh, god, no. We're friends, but he's like a little brother to me. I mean, I think I was almost a decade older than him anyway during Battle City," Mai laughed at Ishizu's curiosity, but she certainly wasn't the first person to ask her about it. "He always looked out for me, but, even if not for being so much older than him, he's not the type of person I'd go after."

"Yeah?" Ishizu said, a coy smile creasing her expression, "what type of person do you go after, then?" 

Mai shot her a roguish grin and reached over to pinch her ass, to which Ishizu squealed, much to Mai's delight. "I think you should know all about what type I'm going after, princess."

"Well," Ishizu said, smoothing out her dress, wearing that charming flustered expression she was growing familiar with, "we ought to hurry up if we want to make it on time to the semi-finalist's announcement."

"Sure thing," Mai grinned, stripping out of her dress and into a bikini with a cover-up to go over it. Boundaries were starting to become a thing of the past between the two of them, and Mai couldn't be any more pleased with the development.

***

The sun had just begun to dip in the sky, the horizon fading into yellow when they reached the KaibaLand pool area where the announcements were to be made. Mai and Ishizu flashed them their wristbands, a tournament working flashing a light on them to confirm their authenticity before giving the pair a nod and they were let in. Duelists weren't the only people who'd been allowed in, however. Several cameramen and game journalists were on the scene, A DJ, entertainers, as well as a few notable duelists that weren't participants filled the scene. 

It was a party, to be sure, and Ishizu and Mai were welcomed as a couple of stars sparkling on the horizon of the event. More often than not, these events came up as a reminder of her being one of the only female duelists at a tournament, the 'gatherings' there were more accurately photo ops with the other competitors with men to women being a 9:1 ratio, if not worse. Mokuba, however, seemed to know how to organize an event with a capital E. If she ended up seeing him around, she'd have to tell him how incredible it had turned out.

Even if, admittedly, men outnumbered the women of the event, and the majority of the women around weren't participants, she didn't feel nearly so out of place. Especially not when Ishizu was at her side. 

The two of them picked up a drink at the bar and moved to take a dip in the infinity pool. God, why couldn't Battle City have been this nice? Rather clearly Kaiba had the means for it, and if she'd had this much fun, it might've been worth the coma near the end. 

Not really, but it would've been nice. Mokuba probably would've just disqualified her before she could've gotten hurt, but, with shadow games and all, she wasn't certain if that would've helped, either.

It didn't matter anymore. That part of her life ended, and she didn't feel the need to feel sorry for herself when she sat next to her gorgeous girlfriend at what must've been the best party Domino City had ever seen. She wrapped an arm around Ishizu's shoulder and flashed her a grin. 

She was about to speak up when soon enough, Mokuba stepped up onto a platform to speak, a spotlight pointing him out to the crowd. The screens that had been placed up for the event held a closer look at his face, a megaphone in hand.

Mai could only grin at how much the little squirt had grown up since the last time she'd seen him. She only half-listened to his speech. Much as she liked what he'd done with the tournament, she was much too familiar with these sorts of announcements at competitions- thanking sponsors and duelists and other niceties with some inspirational bits sprinkled in. Ishizu, however, seemed to cling onto every word, so she directed her attention back to him as well. Still, the only thing she wanted to know right now was who she'd be going up against.

"Now, I'm sure everyone here wants to hear the names of the tournament's semi-finalist teams. Can I hear some noise?" He called out, all too proud. 

The place roared with applause and cheers, Mai and Ishizu included. 

"Alright! Firstly- let's give a round of applause for my big brother- Seto Kaiba and his partner Joey Wheeler!"

Mai just about choked on her drink and shot a look over at Ishizu. "Those two- a team? You're joking right?"

The cameras that had been displaying Mokuba on the electronic screens now flashed over to Joey Wheeler and Seto Kaiba, with Kaiba looking stoic as ever and Joey grinning like an idiot while the crowds cheered.

"Next up, a blast from the past- these two duelists haven't been seen together since the last KaibaCorp Tournament! Mai Valentine and Ishizu Ishtar!"

Soon enough, the two of them were on screen, and the applause was for them. With delight, Mai wrapped an arm around Ishizu's shoulders where she squished into her and waved for the cameras. 

She was on top of the world right now. Mai couldn't imagine anything to bring her down from a crowd cheering her and Ishizu on- even if it was a bit drunk at this point in the party- and her face on billboards at an official KaibaCorp party.

That was, until the announcement of the following team.

"...Ryou Bakura and Marik Ishtar!"


	7. Relived

"Mai, I'm very sorry- I hadn't realized he'd made it into semi-finals. If I'd have known I would have told you," Ishizu fretted, worrying her hands as the two of them made it back to their hotel room. 

The news that Marik was in the tournament had shaken her enough to begin with, however, at the announcement party's end, the order of the duels were revealed, with her and Ishizu leading the first duel against Ryou Bakura and Marik Ishtar. Mai was still reeling trying to process the development, so much so that she had barely heard what Ishizu tried to convey to her. It's not as if she held any fault in the matter, but the realization still stung.

"Did you know that he was dueling in this?" Mai asked, her voice a little distant as she towel-dried her chlorine drenched hair.

"...I did. I didn't think he'd make it this far. I don't remember him being all that good at this game, in all honesty."

Mai managed to snort at this. It figured she'd lose to a technicality to a guy who wasn't even all that _good_ at Duel Monsters. The sound, however, was dry and humorless and didn't carry her usual energy.

"I'm going to hop into the shower and rinse off the chlorine, alright? I'll be out in a bit."

"Mai, wait," Ishizu said in a soft plea as she curled her fingers around her hand, "Are you upset with me?"

Mai turned her head to look at her and leaned in to press a quick kiss to her cheek. "I'm not upset with you, I promise. I'm just a little shaken up, but it's alright."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure." Mai flashed her a soft smile and pet her still damp, dark hair, "I'll see you after my shower, okay?"

Mai hopped into the shower, pouring one of the little novelty bottles of shampoo out into her hand and scrubbed away the shock of the evening. She took a deep breath and exhaled into the steam that flooded the room. At least after everything, the KaibaCorp Hotel chains had killer water pressure to wash it all away. 

She had to put herself together. In reality, she knew that this wasn't the same Marik that had nearly ended her life years ago, that Yuugi and co had laid the items that allowed that to happen to rest on their vacation to Egypt. The spirits that came with them had gone, too. The Marik that she'd be up against tomorrow was just Ishizu's little brother. In a way, she supposed he didn't have a particularly good memory of Battle City either. Still, that didn't make it easier on her. 

What did set her a little more at ease, however, was the thought that Ishizu would be standing by her through it this time. Mokuba was in charge of this tournament, no one was about to be dragged into a shadow game. It would be different this time.

She was going to win this time.

A quick rinse had her feeling a touch lighter, the edge of the shock having dulled. A complimentary bathrobe didn't hurt either, and after she'd blow-dried her hair, she returned to the bedroom to find Ishizu still worrying over her fingernails, sat on the edge of her bed. 

She glanced up at her, looking guilty. "Mai," she said, taking her hands, "you know... we don't have to do this."

"What are you talking about?" Mai asked, the hot water having her feeling more on the side of drowsy than stressed, and Ishizu's statement was lost on her.

"The duel. We can still pull out now." Ishizu said softly, guiltily.

"What?" that much woke her up, "oh, no no no. We're not about to forfeit. I've done that once- it's not for me. I'm getting my rematch against Marik, and you're going to be right there with me."

"You're sure?" Ishizu asked, a little smile quirking her lips as her fingers laced into Mai's.

"One hundred percent sure," Mai said back before a smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth and she ran a finger along her shoulder, lightly pulling down her bikini strap, "besides, don't think I've forgotten about our little bet..."

"Oh?" Ishizu's voice raised a full octave and Mai felt the gooseflesh rise on her skin beneath her touch. 

"Mm-hm," Mai hummed, feeling much more herself as she leaned in for a peck on the lips, "now, why don't you hop in the shower and meet me back in bed?"

"Of course," Ishizu said, flashing her a coy glance with a genuine grin on her lips as she moved from her spot for her turn in the shower. Oh, the things she'd do to be her showerhead. 

Yeah. This time was going to be different. 

***

The breakfast bar and the other luxuries of the hotel made her nearly forget the magnitude of her duel later this afternoon. They served fucking crepes here for god's sake- or, considering Ishizu's take on that, would that make it gods, plural? Who gave a fuck, actually, because she was having an amazing time rehearsing strategy with Ishizu over breakfast.

As much as she'd been enjoying the card game part of the tournament, the dress that she'd picked out for Ishizu was proving to be a touch distracting for her to care about the things she and Ishizu had gone over nearly every night this week again. While Ishizu had been talking, comparing cards and talking over previous plays of the week, she treaded into deeper waters, gently tracing her foot up the exposed skin of Ishizu's smooth brown leg, making her drop the cards in her hand.

"M-Mai!" she exclaimed having been taken off guard. She wouldn't mind hearing her name like that again.

"Yes?" Mai nearly sang, fixing her with a look and a smile.

"Be serious!" She said, hiding her face behind cards, "we're in the semi-finals, we... need to focus."

"Oh, I'm very focused, I promise," Mai said with all too much mirth to be taken seriously, "and didn't you say that you didn't think your brother was very good at this, anyhow?"

"Yes, well, clearly he's a little more capable than I thought, considering he's in the semi-finals of this tournament."

Mai was aware that she'd need to take any competitor gravely serious at this point. She knew Ryou, he was honestly a good friend to her, which made it both a little easier to swallow to be going up against Marik when the two of them were side by side, but also a little frustrating that he never told her they were getting buddy-buddy behind her back.

Still, she was having fun with Ishizu right now.

"And after that... We'll either be facing off against Seto Kaiba and Joey Wheeler or Mokuba and Jaden Yuki. I don't know almost anything about the second pair, considering they're both rather new to the pro-circuit and- Mai!"

Mai's hand now settled on her knee and slowly crept up her thigh, a smile on her lips. "Oops, my hand slipped."

Ishizu buried her face behind her hands. "Please, there will be time for that later."

"Alright," Mai said with a grin, "then I guess we can get back to cards for a bit. But we're continuing this conversation after we kick Marik and Ryou's ass in this duel."

"Deal. Now, keep your hands on your cards! There's still a lot to think about!"

***

As calm as Mai had been earlier that morning, leaving the hotel room with Ishizu and stepping into the fray, more publicized and broadcast than anything of the qualifying rounds, was nerve-wracking. Sure, tournaments and the game were nothing new to her, but to be going up against Marik again in front of anyone in Domino city who'd ever given a shit about her career as a duelist, was enough to unsettle her. Not enough for her to let it show, though. 

With the millennium items gone, whether she won or lost, it would be different than the events of Battle City. She at least had to believe that much. In addition to that, she wasn't alone this time. Ishizu stood at her side, making the most distinct change in her life being someone she trusted entering the challenge ahead with her. 

So, as the mechanized platforms rose up, Mokuba announcing both she and Ishizu, as well as their opponents, Mai could at least acknowledged that plenty of growth and change separated her from the past that haunted her. Mokuba continued talking past the traditional announcements, and Mai tuned in to listen.

"And now- with our first semi-finalists on the field- KaibaCorp is proud to present the first glimpse of revolutionary new holographic technology to the public! With the advances made possible by my brother, Seto Kaiba, and his partner in these advances, former reigning champion- Yuugi Muto- the holographic technology no longer applies to just the monsters on the field- but the field itself!"

The field itself? So, with the press of a button, the field was about to shift into something aside from the resort arena? Was this all in the waiver she signed?

It seemed that Mai was actually going to have to start reading those damn things in the event that she did this again. Or get an agent to do it for her.

The arena shifted, new holographic projectors appearing from the sides as she gripped tight to the railing of the raised platform she stood on.

A dark mist enshrouded the field, and Mai swallowed. While she told herself things had changed, it looked all too familiar to what she'd seen before. Her head swam at the looks of the arena as it became twilight, mist on the field, and marble headstones rose up out of the arena beneath. She felt like she was going to lose her lunch until Ishizu's voice splintered through the atmosphere.

"Hey Marik," she called with mirth lilting in her voice, "I hope you've gotten a little better at this game since the last time I trounced you."

Mai blinked, hearing Ishizu start the back and forth nearly synonymous with KaibaCorp tournaments. 

"From what I remember, partner duels weren't exactly your strongest points."

If Ishizu was referencing something, Mai didn't understand it, however, the insult seemed to have caught Marik off guard. The banter served as a reminder to her that if there was anyone to pair up with to oppose him, it would've been Ishizu. He was her little brother, and she must've known him better than anyone. Despite the looks of the field, the eerie field type having taken her by surprise, perhaps it wasn't all that scary. Just like the holographs surrounding them, it was only an illusion that she'd lost herself to a long time ago, and she'd need to get over it if she would secure victory for herself and Ishizu.

And that wasn't even acknowledging the little wager that had been struck between the two of them.

~

The match opened just as any other before it, 4000 life points to each respective player. Ishizu and Mai had been granted the first turn, establishing strategy- Mai laying down the first of her monster cards, a face-down magic card to later be activated, whereas Ishizu's cards all laid face down on the field. While Mai couldn't pinpoint exactly which cards she'd laid down, her perfumes and other dirty tricks being put to rest years ago, the way she'd come to know Ishizu now she could predict a few defensive procedures pressed onto the field.

What they were, however, she'd have to wait to see.

~

As the match unfolded, Marik revealed a trap card all too familiar to her. Shackles froze her Harpie lady in place while she thrashed against them fruitlessly. Mai wrung her open hand over her opposite wrist, feeling the phantom pains of an identical struggle, swallowing back the memory.

Horror didn't have time to settle, for just as quickly, Ishizu activated her magic card- reigeki- and the shackles dissolved into light, her harpy lady free once more. She checked her shoulder, casting a look at Ishizu.

Mai knew she could've rid herself of the trap when her turn came, Harpie's Feather Duster being her last draw. Still, she had to wonder if Ishizu knew how much it would've meant to her that she didn't have to this time around.

Her attention snapped back to the duel, a grin crossing her lips. There was nothing that could stop her this time.  
~

A final attack had been called. With elegant egotist in play, and her harpy ladies equipped with cyber shield, Mai's attack drove Marik into the dust, his life points hit zero. Mai watched the counter drop with glee, claiming the victory to a different Ishtar this time around. The audience was cheering, and cheering for her and her partner this time. Mai wasn't just good, she was good and engaging and even as the years passed, audiences still loved watching her crush an opponent.

It helped, of course, when someone like Ishizu stood at her side. 

The holographic display dissolved back into the standard lines of the arena, Mokuba's voice as the announcer calling out the winner, but Mai had no interest in that. When the platforms lowered and the railing gate opened once more, she ran over to Ishizu, plucking her up off the ground and spinning her in her arms, to which Ishizu squealed in surprise.

"We did it! We won!" Mai cheered, a smile on her face so wide it burned into the muscles of her cheeks.

"Mai!" Ishizu laughed, "put me down!"

Mai eventually planted Ishizu back onto the ground, brushing her silky hair out of her face to smile at her. "You were amazing," Mai said gently.

"You were too... why don't we get off the stage? I'm sure this would be better discussed back in our room."

Mai's grip found purchase on Ishizu's hand, and she couldn't imagine a better place to be.

"Agreed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end it turns out I don't actually care enough to write a full-length duel scene. Let's be honest if you read this far you aren't reading for duels.


End file.
